A little help with my first AG attempt

I've never made beer before, but I've decided to go nuts and try to make the AG Leffe clone from the beer captured book. I've been reading the recipe and would like to know a couple things about the ingredients:

1. The recipe calls for Belgian two-row pilsner malt, which I don't think I can get locally. But I can get Canadian two-row and Weyermann two-row. Would these make adequate substitutes?
2. I need a substitute for a small amount of Honey malt (2 oz).
3. I need to substitute at least one of the hops:

1/2 OZ. (21 g) Pride of Ringwood at 9.3AA (4.7 HBU) (bittering hop)
Boil for 45 minutes then add: 1/2 OZ.
(14 g) Styrian Goldings (flavor hop)

I can't get the Pride of Ringwood, and am looking for an alternative.

Thanks.

For your first attempt, I recommend something easy. Try my Haus Pale. It's brain dead simple and tasty to boot. If you try something complex and it goes south, you'll be in a bad mood for years.

I don't see much difference, just a few less ingredients.

The ingredients are stocked by every LHBS and if done right, produces a beer enjoyed by a majority of folks. That's all.

I'm sure it's good and may try it sometime, but I like blonde beer and Leffe in particular - that's what I would like to try first. It's got a list of ingredients, but I can find most of them and the procedure is pretty clear. I just need to sub a few ingredients with something close. Worst case I can order Honey malt. But I would like to use Weyermann or Canadian 2-row pilsner if possible because I can get it in bulk. And I haven't heard anything good about PoR hops. It doesn't make much sense to me to use Australian hops in Belgian beer. If it's there for the citrus aroma, maybe I could other hops with coriander/orange peel.

mr x said:

I don't see much difference, just a few less ingredients.

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It's got a lot of things going for it.

It's simple.
It's tested be lots of people.
It tastes good.
It comes reccomended.

orfy said:

It's got a lot of things going for it.

It's simple.
It's tested be lots of people.
It tastes good.
It comes reccomended.

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That's all good, but it's not what I want to drink. I was looking for advice on ingredients substitution.

If you substitute to many of the ingredients it wont be what you want to drink either. I would heed the voices of experience.

DAAB said:

If you substitute to many of the ingredients it wont be what you want to drink either.

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So nobody has ever tried substituting 2 row pilsner or hops.

Well seeing he wants to make his own beer, why not just help him do it and let him make and correct his mistakes.

(1) although I have yet to find a difference between canadian pils malt and weyermann, I would in this case use the weyermann as it at least continental malt.

(2) read this from the Paddock Wood store description and make up your own mind on subs.
Quote...Malt sweetness and honey like flavour and aroma make it perfect for any specialty beer. The closest comparison is a light caramel, but Honey Malt has a flavour of its own: sweet and a little bit nutty. Made by restricting the oxygen flow during the sprouting process, Honey Malt is essentially self-stewed. When the oxygen is cut off, the grain bed heats up, developing sugars and rich malt flavours. The malt is lightly kilned for a color color profile of 25 SRM and is devoid of astringent roast flavors. Honey malt has a diastatic power of 50, and can convert itself but not additional adjuncts. It is best mashed with a base malt. Use up to 25% in specialty beers for a unique flavour. Unquote

(3) you can sub cluster for the POR.

And last... don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do with regard to brewing, but accept the consequences if you FU and learn from it.

Cheers and good luck

boo boo said:

And last... don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do with regard to brewing, but accept the consequences if you FU and learn from it.

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Exactly. I fully plan to wash the yeast and try that too.

I think I'll order the honey malt. At 2 oz a batch, I'll have lots to get this right hee hee.

The Weyermann is about 1/3 more expensive than the canadian, but I'll get it anyway.

Well seeing he wants to make his own beer, why not just help him do it and let him make and correct his mistakes.

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Thats all welll and good but if you don't have any testimonials as to the quality of the overall result from the recipe then it's difficult to tell where you went right or wrong.
Trying to clone a commercial beer for a first brew can result in disappointment for many reasons, sometimes it may not be of ones own doing.
If someone is intent on doing their own thing then what right has anyone to suggest otherwise. Advice is freely given but does not have to be accepted.